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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Winter Wren

Last week, after hard work, Erika and I turned on our water feature for the season. Running water is a bird magnet. This Winter Wren was one of the first birds to appear—it flew from the backyard adorned with a shiny, new Federal bird band.

Winter Wren systematics are complex and confusing. I have previously posted notes about Winter Wrens in 2010 and 2013. North American birds depend on old-growth forests. Clear-cutting and other logging have greatly reduced this wren’s habitat (Hejl et al. 2002). European Wrens, on the other and, inhabit gardens and urban areas, further evidence that the two populations are distinct species. Our birds, looking like tiny rodents, forage in deep woodland, under snags, in tangles, and among fallen logs. Where they breed, these birds are more often heard than seen. During migration, seeing Winter Wrens can be tricky—except, occasionally, at the water feature.

The White Album: Portraits of Minnesota Birds

A photo gallery: A work in progress. Photos may be used free of charge if you credit the photos to my copyright.
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Birds
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Flowers (under construction)
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Dragonflies
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Butterflies (under construction).